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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

After slogging through almost three years of grad school I can now say... I'm done!

Or so I think. I've finished my internship, all of my classes, my certification exam and last friday, my Master's exam (click the link to check out my other blog and read about finishing school). I won't know for certain if I passed until mid-April, but I feel confident I did. When I got home after the exam I packed away every book, note and test-prep material in my room and shoved it all in the attic; I don't want to look at it for at least two months, after which I'll probably have to start looking for work.

But today, I don't want to think about anything but publishing and writing. The Anarchist Book Fair is fast approaching and my hubby and I will be there, selling copies of Punk Rock Saved My Ass and networking with other indy publishers and anarchist writers. We treat these book fairs like a vacation, so I reserved a hotel room and got a coupon for a good restaurant. Some married people like to go on cruises, we like to sit in drafty halls selling books and chatting with other freaky publishers.

And to honor my promise to my muse (who would never let me forget it anyway), I signed up for Script Frenzy, starting April 1st. I will attempt to write a full length, 100 page play in only one month. The last time I did this event was three years ago when I managed to write a 120 page play (if took another three years to revise and make it any good). The challenge gets the creative juices pumping, and I need a push to drag my brain out of Orientation and Mobility and back into writing. I am terribly ill-prepared, though. I sort of have an idea, a general collection of vague characters, a conflict to propel the action, and a script writing program I sort of know how to use. Probably won't "win" this year (winning means writing the whole play in the allotted time), but it will give me a good start.

Speaking of plays, I need to get my first play produced. Who would like to stage a comedic farce about a con-man/guru at a hippi spiritual retreat haunted by a love sick poltergeist?

Monday, March 07, 2011

... or rather, she forgot I have two tests. Here I am, studying for my very last exam, my Master's exam, the one I need to pass for my degree and to graduate from San Francisco State University, and my muse is whispering in my ear, "What do you want to publish next?"

"Stop it. Go away."

"What book will you publish first?"

"I said stop it."

"Do you really plan to try publishing fiction for a change?"

"Can't you see I'm trying to study?"

"That could be very interesting. And challenging..."

"I'm not listening."

"I like a good challenge. Y.A.? Adult fantasy? Not children's books, surely."

"I said I'm not listening."

"Yes... Y.A. Now there's an interesting market. But what will you publish to crack it?"

"Will you please...!" I shout.

"I'm interested in that manuscript your friend has been shopping around. It sounds like it has potential. You should call her."

Impossible! I turn back to my text book. "Cortical Visual Impairment is the leading cause of vision impairment in children..."

"And I wonder if that writer who's story is in the punk anthology is really working on a memoir. What a fascinating read that would be."

"Do you think Tama will ever have the time to finish her book? I hope so. I'd love to work with her. She's so funny."

"In adults, the leading causes of blindness are Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Cataract."

"We are going to have so much fun when you finish school."

I slam down my book. "Then maybe you should let me finish school by studying for this frickin exam!"

She is silent for a moment, staring at me, her snakes slowly winding themselves behind and away from her freezing gaze. Then she shrugs. "Of course. I'm simply reminding you how wonderful it will be when you are done."

"Thanks," I growl.

"And when you have a job, you'll finally have money to invest in Medusa's Muse."

I slowly pick up my text book and force myself to keep reading.

She smiles. "Yes, a little money invested in Medusa's Muse is just what you need. It's time to take it up a notch, really market those books of yours. Maybe even buy some t-shirts and other shwag to sell at events. People really love the logo, as they should."

"The macula has the highest concentration of cones. Cones allow us to see color and fine detail..."

"It's going to be a great year for Medusa's Muse. I can feel it in my bones!" She keeps talking as I try desperately to concentrate on eye diseases.

But I'd rather be talking to her about future projects and expansion and revising the budget and calling a creative team meeting to get those artistic ideas flowing and....